Anger And Agony
by DarkHououmon
Summary: "Do you have any idea how hard it was getting that chalk to begin with? Do you know how much trouble I had to go through to have all of that arranged? And you...You took it all away."
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: A short story I wrote featuring Racingwolf's fancharacter, Newland. This story's time is deliberately left ambiguous. So exactly when this story takes place, it's up to your imagination. I don't know if I'll do a continuation of this or not.

sss

Rudy felt like an idiot. He knew he should have listened to Penny when she suggested that they find a way to mark their paths. He didn't think it was necessary because he 'had the magic chalk'. He sometimes used that as..well not really an excuse, but more to cheer them up. Well it sure wasn't doing a lot of that today. Rudy had made a few slip ups, which resulted in him wandering around this cave system...alone.

He had lost Penny and Snap a while back. There was a rockslide that came out of nowhere. They all managed to get out of the way in time, but he ended up separated from the others and he lost his magic chalk. He couldn't dig through the rubble to get to them. Penny suggested they all find an alternative route. She thought that maybe there was another way around the debris. Snap wasn't sure but he agreed that looking around was better than just breaking their backs trying to clear the rubble.

He wished he had gone with Penny's idea of leaving a trail. He had been looking all around this cave, trying to find any path that looked familiar. But he was so unfamiliar with this cave system that he couldn't tell if he was anywhere near any place he had been. He could be going around in circles for all he knew. After a while of walking nonstop, Rudy let out a frustrated groan and leaned against the cave wall.

How was he going to get out of this? He couldn't draw anything in here, not without the magic chalk. Even just a tiny piece of it would do. Yet he didn't even have that. The magic chalk he had was knocked out of his hands as he ran away from the collapse and it ended up buried underneath the boulders. He was not strong enough to live them, so he had to leave it behind. He had navigated ChalkZone without magic chalk before, but not like this. He always had an ally with him, and it was always in an open area and he could easily explore. But here, he was trapped, having no idea which way to get out. Oh if only he had just followed Pennys' advice and left a trail...

He looked all around the cave. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness, so he was able to see well enough to navigate without much worry. He needed to try a tunnel he hadn't before, and the only one was the middle one at a fork in front of him. He sighed softly, hoping that this one wouldn't lead him in some large circle. He made his way over, taking his time so he didn't trip over anything by accident. He had no idea if this tunnel would get him anywhere, but it was the only one he hadn't tried. At least so far. There was the chance that there were other tunnels he was missing.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, Rudy wondered when the tunnel was going to end. The other tunnels didn't take as long to walk in. Maybe this tunnel was the one he wanted. He tried looking out ahead, but he couldn't really see any signs of light. It was just nothing but blackness. But this did little to discourage him, and he moved along. He quickened his pace as excitement welled up inside of him. Maybe he would finally be out of this cave and he could get more magic chalk so he could help his friends, just in case they were still trapped by that time.

Suddenly, when Rudy made a sharp turn as the tunnel veered to the right, he slammed into something. It felt solid, just like the walls, and for a brief second, he thought that he just ran into some rock. But the solid thing also felt soft and unusually warm for a rock. He shook his head and rubbed it. He stared at the thing he walked into for a few seconds, trying to determine what it was.

Then it started to move. It shifted in a way that, at first, Rudy didn't know what it was doing or what could be causing it. He soon realized that it was rotating, and he started to notice the familiar features of legs and arms, tall, a clearly familiar shape. This was not some wild animal, but someone sentient, and tall, too. Then it suddenly dawned on Rudy on just how it was. As he began to see, though barely, more and more of the face, familiarity began to sink in, and Rudy's eyes widened.

It was Newland...

Rudy couldn't believe it. How did he get here? How had he been able to bypass his threat? What was he going to do? How far was he going to go this time? His heart started to beat a little faster. He felt a cold chill way down on him, focusing on his chest and underside. He felt nauseaous, though he tried his not to throw up. And when Newland now faced him, Rudy was uanble to stop himself from shaking a little bit.

"Rudy...?" Newland looked genuinely shocked at first, like he wasn't expecting Rudy be here at this time. But that shock only lasted for a second. It was replaced very quickly by anger. "You..."

Rudy wanted to say something, anything. But the intense anger radiating from Newland's eyes made it hard for him to speak. He attempted a few times, but he could only manage a small sound or two, and then he'd shut his mouth. He moved back from Newland, pressing his back against the tunnel walls. He moved to the side, going in the direction he needed to go. He tried to do this as quickly as possible. He had no idea if Newland was alone. Dooth could be laying in wait anywhere. He had to move fast. He couldn't allow himself to be caught. Not here, and not now.

Newland was not happy to see him. He had never seen that much anger in the man's eyes before. His lips were curled up in absolute disgust and contempt for him. There was a slight shaking to his body, and Rudy knew this meant that Newland was feeling a lot of rage right now. He was not safe here. He had to get away before Newland began to unleash that fury that he, himself had unintentionally provoked. He had a feeling that, before he made it far enough from the man, Newland was going to reach his boiling point before he got a safe distance away.

And he turned out to be right on that. He had barely gotten two feet from the man and already he heard a loud growl of anger, a stomp of the foot on the ground and, using speed Rudy didn't know existed for the man, he found himself face to face to him. The motion was so fast that Rudy let out a cry of fear. Newland glared at him and attempted to grip him as he had him cornered. He missed, but Rudy knew from experience he was not going to give up very easily.

"H-How did..." Rudy stammered, finally finding his voice. He took a step back, his body trembling. "..how did you..."

Newland gave a small smile. One filled with more anger than Rudy had ever seen. "What? You thought that your little childish game was going to hold me back?" His smile faded and his eyes narrowed dangerously, nearly into slits. "You forget who you are dealing with, you brat. After all the trouble I went through to bring magic chalk to that studio, did you really get the idea that the stunt you pulled was going to stop me forever?"

"I.." Rudy wasn't sure what to say.

"I can see you are at a loss for words. I guess you ran out of those childish ideas, then?" Newland gave a small, cruel chuckle before he took a couple steps towards Rudy, prompting the boy to slink back away. "Do you have any idea how hard it was getting that chalk to begin with? Do you know how much trouble I had to go through to have all of that arranged? And you..." His voice reached a deep level, a growly edge to it. "You took it all away."

Rudy's instincts were telling him to run. He was now in the right position to bolt away and get a head start. But he was so filled with fear that he couldn't make his legs move. The man took another step, closing the gap between the two artists. Rudy wasn't sure how this happened. He had no idea how Newland got back in. And he had a feeling he was not going to find out anytime soon. Newland was clearly not in the mood to just speak with him.

When Newland got closer, Rudy scrambled to get away. He backed away, heading down the opposite direction he had come from. Each step he took back, Newland took forward. The man quickened his pace a little. Rudy looked behind his back. He didn't know if this tunnel would lead to a dead end or not. But he had to get out of here. He couldn't stay here. He had no idea what Newland was going to do. With him that angry, he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. If there was one thing he learned from their previous encounters, it's that he doesn't care if he hurts people. He proved that with Snap oh so very much.

Rudy asked in a shaky voice, "W-What are you going to do?"

Newland paused. He stared at Rudy with a somewhat blank expression. It made Rudy shudder. It was uncomfortable to look at. Newland's smile returned, this time a little more psychotic than he was used to seeing. "I...am going to make you cry." With that, he suddenly broke off into a run towards him.

Rudy let out a terrified scream. Completely defenseless without the magic chalk, Rudy turned as quickly as he could and ran. He raced through the tunnel, pushing himself as hard as he could. His feet pounded the ground hard with each step he took. He could hear footfalls behind him. He could hear Newland's ragged breath as he chased him. He could hear no more words from the man and he knew that meant that Newland was angry behind comprehension.

The tunnel was longer than Rudy thought, with sudden twists and turns that nearly caused him to crash. Newland did hit against the wall once or twice, but that did little to slow him down. Only seconds after he heard the thud, he'd hear the sound of his feet pounding the ground as he started to chase him down again. Rudy had to get out of this tunnel network and fast. If he could just make it to the exit before Newland reached him, he might have a chance to get away from him before he could do anything.

His chest felt like it was on fire. His mouth was getting dry. He smacked his lips a few times. He felt his heart pounding against his chest, feeling like it was about to explode. He needed to rest. He had to lay down. But no, he couldn't do that. He turned his head a little, just enough to see Newland rushing at him from the corner of his eye. He couldn't stop now. Not with that madman coming in from behind. No, he had to keep pushing himself. Despite the uncomfortable sensation in his chest, despite the soreness starting to spread in his legs, he had to keep moving.

He felt like such an idiot. Now more than ever. He should have listened to Penny. He should have been more careful when traveling through here. He should have brought more magic chalk with him. If he had just done something differently, he wouldn't be in this mess. He could have avoided Newland when he was in such an unprepared state. But now here he was, being hounded by the man, who was catching up to him by the second. Rudy might have more stamina, but Newland took bigger strides. And Rudy was starting to slow down...

Just then, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was bright, causing him to flinch and look away. As they adjusted, he could see he was headed towards a mountainous part of ChalkZone. He didn't recognize what area it was. At the moment, he didn't care. He just needed to get out of this tunnel. Once he got outside, he could find some place to hide. He pushed himself and went a little faster, putting a little bit of distance between him and Newland.

But when he got out of the tunnel and onto the rocky ground, which had a thin layer of grass on it, he was horrified to realize there was no place he could run here. The tunnel opened up on what appeared to be the side of a tall mountain. He stood on a roundish platform, ragged along some parts, set high above the ground. It was sort of like a balcony, except it had no edges to protect himself from falling. Down below were jagged rocks and very few smooth places. The drop must be at least twenty feet, maybe thirty.

Rudy skidded to a stop at the edge. He looked down at the ground below as rocks broke off from the ledge he stood on, their clanging sounds being heard as they rolled down the edge. He trembled. He instantly realized he was trapped. He heard footsteps close behind him now. He started to turn around when Newland grabbed him by his shirt collar. Rudy gagged as he was hoisted off the ground and his eyes met the very angry Newland's.

Newland looked at him in disgust, like he was just some vermin he found laying on the ground. Rudy attempted to struggle, but Newland was a lot stronger than him. Eventually Rudy stopped struggling and just hung in the air, staring at Newland in fear.

"Looks like you ran out of places to run, you buck-toothed freak..." Newland hissed under his breath. "Now...here's your punishment..."

Newland raised him a little higher into the air. His arm tensing up, he threw Rudy across the edge. The boy landed in the ground, crying out in pain. He rolled across the rocky surface, getting a few small scrapes as his skin scraped against the ground. He coughed a few times as some dirt was kicked up into the air. He didn't have time to stand up when Newland rushed over and slammed his foot against his side, causing him to collide with the wall of the mountain. Rudy let out a cry as he landed on the ground. He put his hand on his side, feeling the horrible pain that spread through it.

Just then, he was suddenly yanked back. Newland had his hand around his right ankle, twisting it painfully. Rudy seethed and shut his eyes. He attempted to pull himself away. He gripped the grass in desperation. But Newland just pulled him back hard and Rudy ended up ripping out the grass blades. He released his grip on the torn pieces as Newland thrust him through the air, still holding onto his leg. Then shockwaves of pain spread throughout his body as he was slammed against the ground. His body smashed against the hard surface and he screamed.

Newland did this again and again. He kept slamming Rudy into the ground, harder and harder each time. Rudy let out loud grunts of pain and a few screams. His clothes started to get a little torn and dirty. Newland then dragged his battered body over to the side of the mountain. Giving Rudy a nasty grin, he began to thrust him against the wall, smashing his shoulder and side as hard as he could. Rudy cried out in agony, tears of pain forming in his eyes.

Then Newland dropped him. Rudy thought, at first, it meant was finished. He was quickly proven wrong when Newland kicked him again. Rudy cried out as he rolled across the ground. He let out a few whimpers and groans of pain as he laid on his back. He took in a shuddering breath as Newland came up to him. Rudy looked up at him pleadingly, but that did nothing to stop the professional artist. Newland raised his foot above him, his eyes holding no sympathy for the ten year old. Rudy tried to get out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough. The foot came down hard and fast.

Rudy's eyes widened and he let out a cry as the foot slammed against his stomach. Newland stomped down on his vulnerable stomach multiple times, applying as much force as he could. Agony wracked through Rudy's body, more tears of pain moving down his face. Newland sometimes alternated and stomped on his chest, knocking the wind out of him every time and making it hard to breathe. Even as blood started to trinkle down the corner of his mouth, Newland did not let up. He only stopped when Rudy suddenly sprayed blood from his mouth, splattering over his chest. Then Newland stopped and gave a satisfied smirk.

But he still wasn't finished with him. He grabbed him by his shirt collar again and slammed him against the mountain wall. Rudy attempted to struggle again, prompting Newland to tighten his grip. He pulled a fist back and he slammed it against Rudy's head. Rudy screamed in pain as his head was thrust to the side. He looked over at Newland, silently begging him to stop. Newland ignored this and kept going. He punched Rudy in the face as hard as he could, causing large bruises to form. Rudy kept crying out each time the fist collided with his face. Then Newland threw him into the ground again, this time causing the boy to land on his back.

Rudy let out small whimpers as he tried to climb up to his feet. His body trembled in pain. His face was stained with tears. He looked over behind him and saw Newland coming towards him. His eyes widened and he let out a terrified scream. He tried to crawl away. He only got a few inches when Newland pinned him down with his foot. Rudy looked up at him in fear.

"N-No..please...stop hurting me.." Rudy begged, shaking. "Let me g-go...please..."

Newland's response to this was a snarl and a fist against his back. Rudy cried out as Newland punched and slammed his clenched fist against his back. After punching Rudy several times in the back, the man got up and he kicked him hard, causing him to roll over and expose his stomach. Newland wasted no time. Holding Rudy in place with his hand, he punched Rudy in the stomach a couple of times before raising him above the ground. He glared hatefully at Rudy before pulling his fist back and punching him in the face again, causin the boy to fly back and skid across the ground.

Rudy laid on the ground on his back. His eyes were shut tightly as he whimpered and cried. His body trembled from the agony. He could feel blood leaking out of his nose from where Newland had punched him. He trembled hard as he saw the man approach him again. Unable to move out of the way in time and knowing Newland will not listen to anything he had to say, all Rudy could do was lay there and hope that Newland will leave him alone now.

The professional artist lowered himself to the ground. He was now on one knee beside Rudy. The ten year old felt terrified, not knowing what the man was going to do to him next. He hoped someone would find them soon before Newland could do anything worse to him. But, given the sort of luck he was having lately, he had a feeling that fate was not going to be so merciful on him this time around.

"I was so close to fame..." Newland said, his voice filled with venom. "You stole that from me. Well then, 'great creator'..." He said that with the highest level of sarcasm. "If you want your magic chalk back so badly..."

As he said that, he pulled out a piece of magic chalk from his pocket. Rudy was horrified to see that the edge had been sharpened to a point. It was then Rudy knew that Newland planned on doing this from the beginning. He must have followed him into the cave, and had only acted surprised to see him. He must have known that he was going to come down that way. Their encounter wasn't accidental. Newland had set a trap for him. And he had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Newland raised the sharpened chalk into the air, holding it so Rudy could get a nice long look at it. He reached down and gripped Rudy by the side of his face and forced his head to remain still. Rudy's eyes were glued on the chalk. He attempted to struggle, but Newland placed his leg over his body, partly straddling him so he couldn't move. Rudy's pupils dilated in fear as the chalk was placed over his head.

"You can have it back!"

Suddenly, Newland thrust downward with all his strength. Rudy let out a bloodcurdling scream as the sharp tip of the chalk slashed across his right eye, tearing into the flesh and causing fresh bloodflow. Newland moved back a little and looked down, clearly satisfied by what he had done. Rudy held his eye protectively, screaming, crying, and writhing on the ground. The sherea gony that swept throug his body was unbearable and he was unable to hold back his sobs.

He soon laid there, trembling hard in pain. His teeth were gritted. Tears moved down his stained, reddened cheeks. Dark red blood stained the right side of his face and moved down his neck and onto his shirt. He carefully moved his hand away and tried to open up his right eye. He could only manage to open it for a second, seeing nothing but red as blood poured into his eye, before he screamed and held onto his eye protectively. He looked over at Newland with his undamaged left eye, giving him a silent question of 'why?'.

Newland just smiled at this. Then he rushed over to Rudy and kicked him in the chest. Rudy screamed as he tumbled across the ground and landed in a heap on the ground. Newland came over to him and gripped his left arm roughly, twisting it hard. Rudy let out a grunt of pain, shutting his eyes tightly. Newland took the sharpened chalk and started to cut into his arm, jabbing the chalk into his wrist. Rudy's left eye opened up and he let out screams of shere agony as Newland continued to torment him, slicing up his left arm, moving down slowly, leaving a long, deep gash in his arm. Rudy tried to pull his arm back, but Newland was not done torturing him. He jabbed the chalk into his left arm again, this time time, in a new place, and repeated the process.

Warm blood covered Rudy's trembling left arm. The blood flowed from it rapidly, staining the ground. Rudy tried to move his arm after Newland released it, but it was so painful that he screamed in pain and let the arm drop back down. He looked up at Newland, wondering how long his torture was going to last. It didn't look like Newland was going to stop anytime soon.

The man went over to his right arm and gripped his wrist tightly. He forced the arm into the ground, holding Rudy's body down with his leg. He positioned the sharp chalk over Rudy's palm. Rudy's eyes widened in horror as he realized what Newland was going to do. He tried to yank his hand back, but Newland just tightened his grip on him, almost feeling like he was cutting off blood flow. Newland gave Rudy a cruel smile before he slammed the sharp tip of the chalk, still coated in his blood, into the middle of his palm.

Rudy screamed and writhed, sobs escaping his mouth as Newland pushed the chalk deeper into his palm. He twisted it around, causing more pain and more damage. He didn't stop until the chalk practically went out the other side of his hand. He pulled it out and then thrust it back in, making the wound on his hand even bigger, causing more damage and more blood flow. Rudy screamed as Newland twisted the chalk as hard as he could. He struggled to get free. But it was useless. Newland was too strong for him. Then Newland yanked the chalk out, which provided only miniscule relief.

"Let's see you try to make anymore unoriginal creations now, worthless scribbler." Newland said darkly.

Rudy laid on the ground, trembling in pain. He let out whimpers and he looked up at Newland. "P-Please...stop..." Rudy begged in a low whisper, tears flowing down his face.

Newland smiled evilly at this. He lowered himself down again and grabbed Rudy on the back of his shirt collar. He lifted him up, holding him in the air like he was just a cat or dog. Rudy hung there limply, staring at Newland in fear, whimpering softly. Newland put his mouth close to Rudy's ear and whispered into it. "Why should I...?"

Rudy stammered, "Y-You're going to k-kill me..."

"That's the plan." Newland said. Rudy's eyes widened in horror. "I already figured out a way that I won't get caught. And it will be nice getting rid of you..." Rudy's only response was to shake harder. "And in case you're wondering why I didn't just shoot you well.." He gave a quick chuckle. "It wouldn't have been as much fun. I like watching you squirm like the untalented maggot you are..."

With that, Newland raised his fist in the air again. Rudy let out a whine and he turned his head away, waiting for the blow.

"Rudy!"

Newland and Rudy froze at that voice. They turned their heads and looked down the tunnel they had come out of. Rushing towards them was Penny. She had a horrified look on her face when she saw what was going on. She quickened her pace and held up a piece of magic chalk, showing Newland that she was not defenseless.

Newland just sneered at her. He pulled Rudy closer to him and placed the sharp tip of the magic chalk against his neck. "Take another step closer and I'll..." He didn't have a chance to finish when something large slammed against him, causing him to release Rudy and fall into the ground. Newland shook his head, his magic chalk flung from his hand and rolling off the side. He looked over and his nose wrinkled in disgust. "Such an unoriginal bobble-headed freak..."

Standing before him was Corky, Penny's condor. As Penny rushed over to Rudy's side, Corky let out a loud hiss and spread her wings threateningly. She slammed her beak shut close to Newland, threatening to tear into him if he got closer. Newland growled at her and he moved around in a wide circle, staring at Rudy with dark intent. He never got a chance to get closer as Corky slammed her beak against the ground by his feet, causing Newland to jump back. Slowly, Newland started to back away.

Newland glared at the condor, looking obviously annoyed that he couldn't finish Rudy off. He bared his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. Though Newland was not impressed by Corky's appearance, though he clearly didn't show fear towards her, he knew better than to try to bypass her without magic chalk of his own. He took a few more steps back before moving his head so he could stare at Rudy.

At this point, Rudy was being held in Penny's arms. He pressed his head against his shoulder and cried hard. She whispered soft, comforting words to him. She had her arms wrapped around him and gently cradled him. Rudy wanted to hug her back, but he could only manage to slink his right arm over her. His bruised, bloodied, and battered body shook in tremendous pain. He turned his head and stared at Newland with his fear-filled left eye.

Newland glared hatefully at Rudy. Then he began to smile. He sneered, "I hope you take this lesson to heart, Rudy..."

Rudy shuddered and he pressed his face against Penny's shoulders. Penny held onto him protectively and shot back at Newland, "You're a monster!"

Newland laughed at this, but did not say anything. Giving one more satisfied look at Rudy, he turned and ran down the tunnels, leaving the two ten year olds and the condor alone.

Penny looked down sympathetically at Rudy. "It's okay Rudy..he's gone..."

Rudy held onto her as tightly as he could with his damaged arms. His tears stained Penny's shoulder, but she didn't mind. She held onto him and pressed him as close to her as she could. She rested her head across his shoulder, pressing the side of her face against his. Rudy whimpered and cried as she held onto him. His body shook as sobs wracked through it.

"He...he tried to kill me.." Rudy whimpered, sucking in a shaky breath. "And he h-hurt me...he wouldn't s-stop..."

"Shhh...it's okay..." Penny gently ran her fingers through Rudy's hair in an attempt to comfort him. "You'll be okay... Newland's not going to get you again.."

Rudy sobbed harder. He wanted to believe Penny. He really did. But after what happened... He wasn't sure if he could feel safe again. It was of no comfort that Newland knew where he lived and could break into his house again, just like he had before. He had never felt so terrified like this before. He felt so scared, he thought he was going to throw up.

"It h-h-hurts... It hurts so much..." Rudy whimpered. The pain from his injuries, particularly the one on his eye and right hand, were getting worse by the second. It was becoming harder for him to bear. In response, he cried harder. "A-And he enjoyed it...He just ke-kept going..."

"Snap is getting help, Rudy." Penny whispered gently to him. She gently rubbed his back and ran her hand along his brown hair. "He'll get here soon. We'll help you back to the real world. You'll be safe. I promise. You'll be okay."

Rudy didn't respond. He just continued to hold onto Penny the best he could. He sobbed into her shoulder, whimpering in fear and pain. Penny kept her arms wrapped around him, running her hand up and down his back. She whispered words of comfort to him in an attempt to soothe him. Then, slowly, Rudy's cries started to die down, getting fainter. From pain, fear, blood loss, and exhaustion, tiredness started to overwhelm him. Then, a few minutes later, he closed his eyes and fell asleep in Penny's arms.


	2. Alternate Continuation

Author's Note: This is an alternate continuation of this story. I should note that this is not canon to the story. This is just a 'what if' scenario.

sss

Rudy couldn't believe it. Newland...wanted to kill him. When he heard the man say those words, his heart froze. He couldn't help but take in a few panicked breaths. Newland just flatout told him he was going to kill him, and that he found a way to get away with it. Unless something changed, unless a miracle happened... There was no way he was going to make it. The man had caused him enough damage, and he knew he wasn't going to stop.

Rudy watched as the man pulled his fist back. He trembled and whimpered, knowing there was nothing he could do to get away. He shut his eyes and looked away, waiting for the blow. It took only seconds for the fist to collide. As it did, Rudy let out a cry of pain. His head was pushed further to the side than it already was. He felt his neck ache from the force of the attack. He tasted more blood in his mouth and he knew he bit his tongue.

Newland didn't stop at one punch. He delivered a few more, each time punching as hard as he could. Rudy developed more bruises and the ones already there worsened. After five punches, Rudy opened up his undamaged left eye and stared at Newland, silently begging him to stop. The man just smiled evilly at him, obviously pleased with what he was doing, happy that he was in full control.

Newland then threw him into the ground. Rudy landed on his back. He skidded across the ground a little and came to a stop a couple feet away. Newland walked slowly up to him. Rudy looked up at him, his eye wide in fear. He could see the murderous intent in those eyes. He knew exactly what the man was going to do. He...he had to do something to defend himself.

The man knelt down by Rudy, giving an evil laugh. Rudy winced when the professional artist reached down and grabbed his face, holding it down. Rudy tried to struggle, but he had lost so much of his strength, and he was in so much pain. He could barely move much at all, especially his arms. He couldn't defend himself with them. His left arm was slashed up and his right hand was gouged. He needed to do something else, anything, to protect himself. He...he didn't want to die...

"It is amusing that you thought you could beat me with your little kiddie games, Rudy. You tried to play with the big boys, and look at where it's gotten you. You might have delayed me, you little brat. But you haven't stopped me..." Newland hissed as he sneered down at Rudy.

Rudy tried to look away, but Newland's grip on his head tightened. He winced as he felt the man's fingernails dig into his scalp a little. He let out a pitiful sob and shut his left eye. "P-Please...I beg of you..." He pleaded. "Stop hurting me.. J-Just let me go... Please..."

"Pleading for mercy? Sorry, kid. I don't play mercy." Newland's twisted smile spread across his face. "I intend on getting rid of you once and for all. But first, I'd like to toy with you a little more. This is fun... Yes, I love watching you struggle."

Rudy opened up his left eye and stared up at the man. He saw him staring back down. There was a glint in his eye. Rudy trembled. He wondered what more the man was going to do to him. That expression...he was up to something. He was going to do something horrible. And when he saw him raise the sharpened magic chalk again, he knew this to be the case.

The professional artist pushed his fingers against Rudy's left eyelids and spread them apart. He positioned it over his left eye. Rudy realized, in horror, what he was going to do. He couldn't let him do it. Rudy's struggles increased as the professional artist brought the pointed chalk down towards his eye.

Rudy soon realized he was in prime position to do a certain dirty attack. He didn't like sinking this low, but he was desperate, wanting to get away, wanting at least some chance of survival. He pulled his foot back. Mustering up whatever strength he could, he struck between Newland's legs.

Newland's eyes snapped wide open. He froze in pain and clenched his teeth. Rudy took this chance. Though his left arm up so badly, he forced himself to raise it up. He mustered up more strength and struck the magic chalk out of Newland's hand. The piece of chalk rolled across the ground and landed several feet away. Newland looked at this in shock, clearly not expected him to be able to fight back like that. But then his eyes narrowed, and seeing the anger in his eyes, Rudy knew he was screwed.

"You insignificant piece of shit! How dare you!" Newland snarled at him. "No one gets away with hurting me! No one gets away with making a fool out of me!" Newland raised his foot above Rudy's already damaged stomach.

Rudy shook his head. "No...no...please..." He choked out, tears flowing down his face. "Don't do it..."

Newland ignored him. He stomped down on Rudy's stomach as hard as he could. Rudy let out cries of pain each time the foot was slammed. More pain wracked through his body. More blood poured from his mouth. His sobs grew louder, his nose becoming stuffy from the mucuous. As Newland kept kicking his stomach, Rudy wondered how it was he was still conscious. He didn't know which was worse, being awake during all of this, or being knocked out and not being able to do anything to defend himself.

Newland stopped stomping on his stomach, but he wasn't through playing with him yet. His torture wasn't finished. He grabbed onto Rudy's ankle and hoisted him into the air and slammed him into the ground. He did this again and again, forcing Rudy to let out increasingly pitiful and weak cries of pain. Rudy's mind was getting muggy now, the blood loss starting to get to him.

After the man was done slamming him, he could feel the man grab his leg a little tighter. He didn't understand what he was going at first, but he soon realized what it was. He panicked and tried to pull his leg free, but it was of no use. Newland, putting himself down on one knee, placed Rudy's left leg over his thigh. One hand held his high in place. His other grabbed the boy's ankle and he pushed down as hard as he could.

Rudy's left eye flew open and he screamed loudly. His right eye attempted to open, but there was too much pain. He struggled, kicking his free leg against the ground in desperation, whimpering and crying the whole time. His face was fleshed red in pain. Newland didn't take too much time and soon he snapped Rudy's leg in the middle of his shin. As soon as the break happened, Rudy let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Newland took a few steps back and watched Rudy in satisfaction. His arms folded against his chest and he chuckled darkly as his cold eyes stared at Rudy. The boy thrashed weakly on the ground. Though it was apparent that he had lost much of his strength from blood loss, both internal and external, Rudy still had some energy left to him, enough for him to wriggle weakly on the ground.

Newland laughed at Rudy's attempts of getting away. The boy would try to crawl, stand, whatever, but he was in too much pain to do anything. Soon he just stopped altogether. He let out a series of low cries and whimpers as he stared up at Newland with his undamaged left eye.

Rudy wanted to get away so badly. He wanted to live. He didn't want to die here. He just...didn't want to die. He was so scared and frightened. He wished Penny was here. Snap...anyone. He didn't want to be alone. If..if he were to die... He didn't want to die alone. He didn't want die with the only company being Newland. He wanted to at least be able to say goodbye to one of his friends. He...he didn't want to...

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Newland grab onto his arm, twisting it roughly. Rudy winced in pain. He expected to be lifted up, but instead, Newland just started to drag him along the ground. Rudy was a little confused, but his mind, though muggy, was still sharp enough to realize what was going on.

Newland was dragging him towards the edge of the cliff...

Rudy's heart pounded against his chest. A cold rush ran through his body. He looked up at Newland as they neared the cliff edge. He shook his head weakly, staring at him with a pleading expression. Newland just smirked darkly down at him, baring his teeth in a nasty grin.

"N-No...please..." Rudy gulped, whimpering softly. "I don't want to die...please let me go... Please..I'll..I'll do anything... Just let me go..."

Newland laughed coldly. "Well it's a little too late for that, now isn't it, Rudy? You could have avoided this whole mess if you didn't cross me. Well kid... Look at where that path took you..."

Newland pulled Rudy closer to the edge. He lifted him up and let him dangle there for a few moments. Rudy looked down, seeing all the sharp rocks down below. His body trembled hard. He looked over at Newland pleadingly, silently begging him not to do it. Newland just sneered at him.

"Time to die..." Newland whispered darkly into his ear. Newland pulled his arm back and then thrust forward as hard as he could, releasing Rudy.

Rudy let out a scream as he plummeted down towards the ground below. He crashed against a sharp edge. He screamed as it sliced into his body, cutting a deep gash along his chest and stomach. He slid down the structure, the cutting and slicing continuing. He came to a curve and flew through the air. He smashed up against another sharp structure, this time hitting a blunt side.

He continued to fall down, hitting against multiple rocky structures, getting himself cut up. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. The blood loss was even more apparent now than it was before. Blood spilled from multiple wounds. He heard a crack and there was a sharp pain in his left arm. He knew it was broken.

At last, he landed on the ground. His mind was more muggy than before. He laid down on his side, his left arm draped over his right. He let out a few pitiful coughs. Blood poured from his mouth. He let out low, constant whimpers. He couldn't believe this was happening. He laid there, in a pool of his own blood. It was inconceviable. Just a short time ago, he was exploring with his friends. Now, he laid here dying. How life can be cruel and unexpected at times.

He could see Newland approaching him. He dind't question how he got down here so fast and without him seeing him. He just stared at him in fear as he walked slowly up to him. Rudy could see his life flashing before his eyes as he came to realize it really was over for him. He could make one last ditch effort to survive, but he knew it wasn't going to work. Still, he had to try.

"I can't believe you're still alive. The fall should have killed you." Newland growled softly, glaring at Rudy in contempt. "Well I suppose you are like a cockroach. But even they can be killed...with the right method..."

Rudy made his final attempt to live. "I-I'm sorry..." Newland stopped at this and stared at him. "I'm so sorry I...stood in your way.. I'm sorry I stopped you from exposing ChalkZone. I'm sorry.."

Newland stared at him, his eyes blinking a few times. Then a dark smile appeared and he chuckled. "You really are desperate aren't you? Well if you didn't want to die, you should have thought about that before you interfered with my plan.." Newland reached down and grabbed Rudy by his shirt collar. "Time to finish you off..."

Newland dragged Rudy over to a sharp rock that jetted out of the ground a couple of feet. Rudy stared at it and looked up at Newland in fear. He didn't try to say anything. What could he say at this point? Nothing would stop Newland from doing this. The only thing he could do was just accept fate. As Newland lifted him up over the sharp spike, Rudy closed his eyes and waited for the blow.

The man thrust him as hard as he could against the rock. Rudy's left eye bulged open as sheering pain swept through his body. The sharp rock cut through his gash, around his upper stomach, and went right through his back. There was a sicking crunch as he did so and he realized it went through his spine. His legs were paralyzed and numb now. Blood drained from his mouth like a faucet and he coughed painfully a few times.

Rudy's mind started to shut down. Everything became confusing, a swirled mess. His eyes were glazing over, he knew, and they became unfocused. Blood loss was taking its toll on him and it was becoming hard to keep his left eye open. He knew he wasn't going to be alive for much longer. A tear strolled down his cheek as he realized he was never going to see Penny, Snap, or anyone else again. He wished he could have seen them one last time...

Newland took a step closer. He leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Looks like I win, you untalented little urchin."

Then, with Newland's words echoing in his head, Rudy closed his left eye. His left hand flexed, as if it were trying to reach something, then it shuddered and fell completely still. His body went limp. With one last strangled whimper, he exhaled a final time, and his world went dark and silent.

sss

Penny moved through the tunnels as fast as she could. Her heart pounded against her chest as adrenaline rushed through her body. She had to hurry up. She had no idea how long Rudy was going to last. Time was of the essence. It was absolutely crucial she found Rudy before it was too late. But the question was...would she get there in time?

After the rock slide, she and Snap had worked together to find another way out. She didn't have any magic chalk, so she had no choice but to leave. This task wasn't easy as finding another way out was not easy. There were other cave ins, making it impossible for her to use the same path they did to get in here. Snap had been able to find another path, luckily, and they headed down that way.

After they had gotten out, they headed straight for the Chalk Mine. Luckily it wasn't too difficult to get there. They had drawn a flying vehicle to enable them to get over to these cavernous mountains to explore. Penny wasn't used to driving them, but she wasn't too bad at it. Plus it wasn't like Snap could drive it with his broken arm and damaged leg. She got into the vehicle and started to drive it. A little shaky, but she managed.

It hadn't taken that long to get to the Chalk Mine luckily. Biclops usually only let Rudy in, but he was lenient with her and Snap since they were his friends. When Penny told Biclops of what happened, he was more than happy to give her some magic chalk, since Rudy was unable to get some himself. She asked for two pieces so that she could give Rudy one as well. He obligued and she stuff the pieces into her pocket.

She and Snap headed back towards the flying vehicle. They didn't get that far when they saw a familiar shape fly off in the distance. Well it wasn't familiar at first due to how far away it was. Penny put a hand over her eyes and squinted. There was something familiar about the shape. She could have sworn she saw it before. She had to draw a pair of binoculars before she could get a good look at it.

Her eyes widened in shock. It was Dooth... But how? There was no way he could have gotten out of jail. She wondered if this meant Boorat was free, too. She didn't see him anywhere near Dooth, but then again, they didn't exactly get along, and only tolerated each other. Dooth would see no reason to drag Boorat with him unless he needed him for some reason.

But the question hasn't been answered yet. How did Dooth break out of prison? It was a high security prison, and plenty of the guards there were bigger and stronger than Dooth. He wouldn't have been able to get out of the door in time, let alone fly away. The only possible way she could think that he would be able to get out was if...

...was if Newland broke him out...

Penny's eyes shot open in horror, a cold rush running through her body. She had looked down at Snap and he had come to the same conclusion as her. Even if the chances were low, Newland had proven to be smart and if he had found a way back into ChalkZone, a way to keep Rudy from using the evidence against him, he wouldn't hesitate to.

Things got worse when Snap realized that Dooth was flying away from the same mountains they were at before. While it was entirely a hunch, it was possible that Dooth had been with Newland over there. And if Newland was there, and he found Rudy... Penny felt her heart clench. She knew Rudy would have lost the magic chalk during the rock slide. He was completely defenseless. Even if Newland didn't have magic chalk himself, he could still hurt Rudy.

There wasn't much time to spare. She had to hurry up and get over there and help Rudy. She told Snap to go back to Biclops and inform him of Newland's return, and to send help up over to those cave systems. Though Snap protested as he didn't want her to go alone, he complied and hobbled over to Biclops's cave.

Penny quickly drew a homing beacon to go find Corgy. She had a feeling she was going to need the condor's help. She didn't stay and wait for her though. She had to get over to those mountains and fast. She hopped into the vehicle and raced back as soon as she could. She didn't notice how well or poorly she was driving. All she could focus on was getting back.

After getting back, Penny searched around for the collapse where she and Snap were separated from Rudy. Once she found it, she used the magic chalk to draw a tunnel through the debris, allowing her to get on the other side. Once there, she started to move town the tunnels, hoping to find Rudy.

As she headed down the tunnel, she looked around, keeping an eye out for Newland in case he decided to ambush her. She walked down the tunnel for a few seconds when she heard something faint. A scream.

...Rudy...

Immediately, her heart tightened. She felt a lump in her throat. A burning sensation in her stomach, she started to run. That was Rudy's scream. She didn't doubt it. It had to be his. She had to hurry... Rudy was in trouble.

And here she was, still running down the tunnel. She didn't pay attention of there were any other tunnels to go down. She just kept to this one. She ran along it, turning when it turned. She didn't bother trying to be stealthy. There wasn't much time. If Rudy was being attacked by Newland, then there was no time to waste. If she didn't get there in time, then Rudy might...

No, she shouldn't think about that. Rudy was fine. He was okay. He had to be. She refused to think that something horrible happened to him. Maybe..maybe he got away from Newland? Yeah he probably did. She just needed to get to him before Newland found him again. If he was hurt, she could get him to the hospital. He would be treated, and he would be fine.

Soon she reached the end of the tunnel. A light shined down, illuminating the ground. She exited the tunnel. She shielded her eyes, letting them adjust to the light. Once her eyes were adjusted, she looked around. She realized that this was a deadend. If Rudy came out here, he would have been trapped. But she saw no sign of him anywhere. Perhaps he went down another path. She was about to turn away when she saw something on the ground. Something dark and wet.

Penny moved closer to it. She squinted her eyes, staring intently on the ground. She lowered herself onto one knee. Whatever this stuff was, it was dissolving the chalk a little. Her heart tightened at the realization. Oh no..it couldn't be... Penny reached down and put her finger in the stuff. She lifted it up and stared at her finger, pressing another finger against it and moving it around. Ice ran through her veins when she realized what it was.

Blood. It was blood... She looked all around. She started to take in quick breaths as she saw just how much of it was all around her. Blood stains were everywhere. She also saw signs of wear and tear on the ground. Dents and scrapes. She only had to take a good look at this damage to realize what had happened.

Newland had beaten Rudy horrifically. Her mind flashed back to when Snap was beaten by Dooth and Boorat. This was very similiar to that, except it seemed like there was more blood here, and it happened to Rudy this time. Did Newland just leave him beaten to near-death like he and those two zoners did with Snap? If so, then...where was he?

She gasped in horror when she saw something over towards the edge. A trail of blood, which she knew had to have belonged to Rudy, headed straight for the edge. Penny shook her head in disbelief. No...he couldn't have... A few tears formed in her eyes and she swallowed hard. Shakingly, she walked over to the edge.

As she reached it, she looked over the edge. She took in a sharp gasp, her pupils shrinking, as she saw the terrain down below. She couldn't see anyone, but she could see all the jagged and sharp edges down below. If Rudy had been thrown down there, there was no way he could have survived. Even if he did, the damage from the fall would be enough to kill him moments after falling.

No...Rudy couldn't be.. No, he might still be alive. She had to check. She had to be sure. Penny quickly drew herself a jetpack so she could get down there. She wasn't sure if Newland was still there, but if he was, she would fight him.

It didn't take her long to get to the bottom. She landed on the ground and looked around. She didn't see Newland anywhere. Perhaps he left. She didn't want to focus on him, though. Right now, she had to find Rudy. He might still be alive. He might need her help. She had to hurry. She couldn't let him down. He helped her when she needed it. She would do the same for him.

Penny ran along the ground, avoiding all the sharp rocks around here. She moved along the twisted paths, looking left and right for Rudy. She moved between two rocks and then...froze.

Her eyes widened instantly at what she saw. There, up head, she could see a prone from on the ground. She took in a shuddering breath. She had a feeling she knew who this was. She swallowed, hesitating for a moment. And then, slowly, she started to approach the form. She moved slowly, cautiously over. Soon she was close enough to see who it was. When she saw who it was, she let out a small cry and put her hands to her mouth in horror.

It was Rudy...

He was laying on the ground, on his stomach. He looked absolutely horrible. His clothes were ripped in several places, covered in dirt. There was a slight wind down here, pushing against his hair and clothes a little. She looked at his face, which was tilted to one side, and saw how horrifically bruised and swollen it was. There were cuts on his left arm, and his leg looked badly broken. From this angle, she couldn't see all the damage done to him. But the blood...oh gawd the blood...there was so much of it. Rudy had blood stains all over him and there was a pool of blood underneath his body, and the gaping hole in his back...

Penny stood there frozen for several seconds. Her mind tried to process what she was seeing. She shook her head in denial, biting her lip. No...it couldn't be true. No..please no... She took in a shuddering breath as tears started to move down her face.

Unable to take it anymore, Penny screamed, "Rudy!" Her voice seemed to echo off the surface of the rocks.

Penny ran over to Rudy's side. She moved as fast as she could. More tears flowed down her face. Her heart pounded against her chest. She soon reached the still boy and dropped down to her knees beside him. Her eyes, wide in horror, looked over him as her shaky hands were held above him. Sucking her lip, she grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over.

She couldn't stifle the gasp as she saw how badly beaten he was. Even worse than she had though. His stomach had multiple very dark bruises and looked as though it had been kicked way too many times. There was a gaping hole there as well, along with a deep gash that stretched from his chest to his stomach. She could see that his right hand had been gouged, a large bloody hole in it.

In addition to that, she could see multiple cuts and scrapes adorning his arms and legs, likely from the fall. His left arm was clearly broken, bent at an odd angle. His face looked even worse up close. She saw, in horror, that his right eye had nearly been gouged out, a deep gash running along it. And there was blood caking his mouth and neck. He must have coughed up blood... She reached down and gently touched his face. She choked back a sob. What..what did he do to deserve this?

Penny stared at Rudy's unmoving face. She...she had to try to wake him up. Maybe..maybe there was still a chance that he...

"Rudy..?" Penny asked in a soft voice. She stared down at him. She waited. There was no reply. "Rudy..." She tried again, this time in a louder voice. "Rudy come on..please...wake up... Come on, you have to wake up..." Tears flowed down her face when she saw he wasn't responding. She gripped his shoulder and started to shake him gently. "Please open your eyes, Rudy...wake up...wake up..."

But there was no reply. Ice ran through Penny's heart. She swallowed, shaking her head as more tears stained her cheeks. No..he can't be dead... She started to shake him harder, crying out, hoping, praying, he was still alive. He had to be alive... He just had to.

"Rudy! Open your eyes! Please!" Penny cried out, her eyes glistening. "You can't die...please...don't die on me! Don't leave me! Please..." She shook him harder, hoping to get a response from him. But no matter how hard she shook him, he was not moving. "Rudy please! Don't go! Come on...wake up!"

But he still did not respond. He remained still as stone. She took in a few panicked breaths. Why wasn't he waking up? He can't be dead... Please don't let him be dead...

"Rudy! Rudy! Wake up!" Penny cried. As time passed, her calls grew a little weaker. Emotion started to take her over. "No please Rudy! No..please...wake up..." Her voice grew softer. "Rudy..no...please..."

Slowly, she stopped shaking him and her calls to him softened up more until she didn't say anymore. She took in a few shuddering breaths, trying her best to hold back her sobs. She stared down at his unmoving face. She gritted her teeth. He couldn't be dead... He can't be... He had to be alive, right? He just...he was just knocked out, that's all.. Yeah, like Snap was after Dooth and Boorat beat him up. This..this had to be like that yeah. Rudy just needed time to wake up and...

Her eyes froze as she stared at his chest. She looked at it intently and she noticed something very wrong about it. It wasn't moving... Rudy's chest wasn't rising and falling like it should have. Rudy..wasn't breathing... Her eyes widened in horror and her body shuddered once in emotion. She turned her head to looked down at his neck. Taking two shaking fingers, she pressed them against his neck. She felt around for his pulse. She choked back a cry when she found none.

Her mind had a hard time processing this. It felt like her whole body was going numb. She didn't pay attention to anything around her. All she was aware of was Rudy's dead form on the ground. The word 'dead' echoed in her mind. Rudy was..dead... He was gone... Newland had killed him. And she was too late to stop him. She was too late...

She shook her head. No..it couldn't be true... But as much as she wanted to deny it.. She knew it was true. She started to cry harder as the realization hit her like a freight train. Her heart felt like it was ripped in two. She felt as though someone stuck a knife thrugh her chest. Her stomach felt as though she swallowed a large, heavy rock. She just stayed there, on her knees, for several seconds, her mind slowly grasping on the reality of the situation.

Her body shaking, tears staining her cheeks, Penny pushed her hands under Rudy's body and she pulled him into her arms. She gently cradled his battered, bruised, and bloodied body in her arms. She stared down at his unmoving face. She reached down and gently caressed it, her fingers running lightly over his bruises and then over his right eye. She couldn't imagine the pain he had been through, and she wasn't there to stop it. She was too late.

"Rudy..." Penny choked, a sob escaping her throat. "I'm..I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time.. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." She took in a sharp, shuddering breath. Sobs escaped her throat. She ran her fingers through his dirtied, blood-stained hair. She stroked it as tears dripped from her eyes. "I'm so sorry... Please..forgive me..."

She moved her fingers to his cheek again. She could feel something cold and slick on his face. Tears... She looked at his face and saw his cheeks were stained with tears. He had been crying... She sucked in a sharp breath, realizing that he was in horrific pain when he died. So much pain...

"Oh Rudy... I can't..I can't begin to imagine...what you must have gone through here..." Penny reached down and gently wiped away the tears from Rudy's eyes. She then stroked away a stray hair that got into his face, combing it back behind his ear. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him from hurting you... I'm so very sorry.."

She couldn't say anymore after that. Sorrow gripped her heart, tears blurring her vision. Unable to hold it back anymore, Penny pulled her head back and let out a loud, mournful wail. She soon started sobbing as she continued to cradle Rudy in her arms. She pulled him close to her, wrapping her arms around his body. She pressed her face against his face as she wept hard.

Why did this happen? Why didn't they see it coming? Why didn't she get here faster? Why didn't she get here on time? Why didn't they be more careful? All these questions and more flooded Penny's mind. So many what-if scenarios began to plague her mind, but she hardly paid attention to them as she held the dead body of her best friend in her arms.

What was she going to tell Snap? She wasn't sure if she could... But she had to tell him. As soon as she saw him next, she would tell him. But not yet. She..she wasn't ready. She needed a little time first. She lifted her head up and she stared down at Rudy. More sobs escaped her throat as she placed her hand on his cheek. Rudy... She gritted her teeth and started to cry louder. She pressed her face into his hair, crying into it. Her body shook as sobs wracked through it.

"I'm sorry..." Penny whimpered in a barely audible voice. Distress swelled in each word. "I'm so very sorry..." She went quiet and continued to cry, holding Rudy's lifeless form to her. Her cries echoed off the rocks around her, filling the area with a sense of melancholy.

sss

Snap held onto the railing in the helicopter with his good arm. He braced himself as they came to a landing at the bottom of the mountains. Snap peered out the window, looking into the horizon. He could see all the sharp mountains and rock all around him, the edges looking like they could slice through anything. Could...could Rudy have...?

No... No Rudy had been in tough situations before. He had to be fine. He probably found a way to cushion his fall or something. But how could he have...? Snap shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his mind. Rudy was fine. He was okay. Badly hurt, but he was alive. He just had to be. He just needed to find him. He and Penny had to get him to a hospital and fast. With all that blood he saw...

Snap's mind couldn't help but wander to when he and some other zoners, sent to help him, stumbled upon that ledge outside of the cave system. It had been such a horrific sight. His blood nearly chilled when he found it. As the helicopter lowered more, he reflected on what he had seen there on that ledge.

There clearly had been a struggle of some kind. So many marks on the ground. Scrapes, dents, signs of wear and tear, and blood...so much blood. Snap could only deduce that Rudy was beaten up by Newland. He wondered if Dooth had a hand...no he couldn't have. The griffin had left the scene. He might have caused the cave-in, perhaps, but he hadn't done anything to Rudy. This brought a sense of relief to Snap, knowing that at least Rudy was spared the pain Dooth was capable of inflicting. His back still hurt from those claws.

Snap felt a pang in his stomach as he realized that Rudy was put through the same thing as he was a month ago. Snap sometimes still had nightmares of when Dooth and Boorat nearly beat him to death. His body still ached in several places and he could still feel that horrible sharp pain from when they broke his leg. He never would have wished that upon anyone, and knowing that Rudy was put through something similiar...it was too much for him to bear.

He hoped and prayed that Rudy would turn out okay... He had looked horrible after his beating, but he still was able to recover... well some. He was still not fully recovered, but he was better than he was before. Rudy...Rudy had to be in the same position as he was. Badly hurt, but alive. Snap hoped that's what it was. He'd rather Rudy be seriously injured, as it meant that there was a chance to save him.

A lump formed in his throat as he thought of what Newland wanted with Rudy. With how much blood there was, it was clear he had wanted to kill Rudy. It wasn't like Rudy had magic chalk to take. It wasn't like when he was beat up by Dooth and Boorat, where Newland was trying to force Rudy to do something for him, in that case, give him magic chalk. There was no one else there for Newland to threaten. The only thing Snap could conclude is that Newland had wanted to kill Rudy. The thought sent ice through his veins.

He..he hoped Penny was able to stop him... She had gone out back to the mountains shortly after they saw Dooth flying away. He hoped that she was able to chase Newland away before he could deliver any fatal blows to Rudy. He just had to find her and...

The helicopter had landed. Snap waited until the propellers stopped spinning. He waved his good arm out in front of himself, trying to get the dust away from his face. He coughed a few times. The zoner that piloted the helicopter turned to Snap, his face etched with concern.

"Do you need any help?" The zoner asked.

Snap took his crutch and pushed himself up to his feet. He hobbled over to the edge of the helicopter door. Around his crutch was a small bag with a few pieces of magic chalk. Biclops had given him some to bring to Rudy. He looked over at the pilot.

Nodding his head, he said, "Yeah. Can you help me get down?"

"Sure." The pilot replied.

The pilot hopped out of the helicopter. He walked around in front of the flying machine and came over to Snap's side. He reached out for him. Snap reached out with his arm. The zoner grabbed onto it and helped him down from the helicopter. He held onto Snap's arm until he could reorient his crutch to support his weight once more.

Once he was steady, the pilot zoner released him. Snap looked over towards him and smiled. "Thank you." Snap said before he started to move himself in the direction where he saw the blood splatter lead to.

"Do you want me to come with?" The pilot asked him, reaching a hand out towards him.

Snap shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Penny's down here. If Newland rears his ugly head, she'll take care of him." He gave a small smile at that comment.

The pilot didn't look entirely convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It'll be okay!" Snap said. He would wave to him, but he couldn't do that without putting pressure on his bad leg. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

With that, Snap started to make his way across the ground. Progress was painfully slow. He could only go so fast using the crutch. He moved as fast as he could. His arm was already getting tired and his bad leg ached a little, despite keeping as much pressure off of it as possible. He tried his best to ignore the pain and keep moving at a brisk pace.

It was difficult navigating these grounds. The grounds weren't exactly smooth. Some places they were, but others...it was really hard to go through them without nearly tripping over. If he was in good health, moving through these areas would be a piece of cake. But of course, Dooth and Boorat just had to break his leg. They had to go that extra mile, as if what they were doing wasn't bad enough. And the red chalk dragon made it worse.

Nonetheless, he was able to move through pretty okay. Except the occasional near tripping, he was doing surprisingly well. Better than he thought he would. He tilted his head up to look at the structure above. He was pretty good with memory, and he looked around for that familiar ledge. He soon saw it. It was a little further up ahead.

He looked left and right as he hobbled forward. Seeing these sharp mountains upclose made him feel queasy. And some were jetting up from the ground around here. He hoped that Rudy didn't land on any of these. They looked so sharp...

He lifted up his head as he heard a sound echoing off the walls of the sharp mountains. He tilted his head from side to side as he tried to figure out what that sound was. Crying? Yeah...crying. His eyes widened at that realization. His heart clenched. What..what did it mean? No, it couldn't be...

Snap moved forward faster than he ever did before with a crutch. He hardly paid attention to how difficult it was for him to move at this pace. He didn't pay attention to the various times when his crutch nearly caught on something. His mind was focused on the sound ahead of him. He kept moving as fast as he could until, finally, he could see shapes in the distance.

As he moved closer, the shapes started to become familiar. He realized it was Penny. She was down on her kneels, her body shaking. It was clear she had been the one crying. She looked like she was holding something. Snap felt a lump in his throat when he realized who it was.

Rudy...

Snap felt a pang in his chest. No...Rudy couldn't be... Maybe he was just badly hurt and Penny was crying for that? Yeah, that had to be. Rudy..he was fine. He had to be fine. He stood there for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts. Then he continued on, heading towards Penny.

"Penny?" Snap called out. At first, Penny didn't reply. She was sobbing as she held Rudy in her arms. Snap bit his lip. This was definitely serious. "Penny!" He spoke louder.

Penny turned her head. Snap nearly froze when he saw her face. It was reddened and sleek with tears. She looked like she had been crying for a long time. She stared at him and took in a shaky breath, her shoulders shuddering. Snap flinched, pausing again. It felt as though his feet were glued to the ground. The way Penny looked at him... Yes something was very wrong.

Snap looked down at Rudy. Penny's back was to him. He could not see most of Rudy's body. He thought he saw a bit of blood, but not much else. He remained where he was for several moments. Then, hesitantly, he started to move forward slowly. He stared intently at her, his eyes asking several silent questions. Penny's eyes almost seemed to answer back, and all of the answers they provided made his heart tighten more.

"I-Is he...?" Snap dared to ask, his voice trailing off.

Penny stared at him. She took in a few more shaky breaths. Her lower lip curled downward, trembling as sobs escaped her throat. She shut her eyes and lowered her head. She clenched her teeth as tears flowed down her face. She shook her head slowly as her body trembled.

Snap froze there. He shook his head slowly in denial. No, it couldn't be... He stared at Penny, hoping and praying that she was wrong. He waited for her to say something, anything, to confirm that she was wrong. Rudy couldn't be gone... He just couldn't. Maybe Penny was lying...no she wouldn't lie about this. She'd never do such a thing. But if se's not lying, then that means...

No..no please no... He moved a little closer. His body started to shake, making it hard for him to use his crutch. Rudy couldn't be gone... Maybe he was just unconscious... Yeah, he'd wake up soon and everything would be fine. They could go exploriating again after he recovered enough. It would be fine.

Snap continued to walk until he got around in the front. He looked down and saw Rudy being held in Penny's arms. The sight of Rudy was such a shock to him that he almost tripped on his crutch. He took in a sharp inhale of breath and he felt his heart nearly stop beating at what he saw.

Rudy was all beat up... It was worse than when Dooth and Boorat hurt him. Rudy's face was covered in bruises and so was his stomach. Dark bruises that indicated that his face and stomach were frequent targets. His clothes were ripped and dirty and bloodied. There was blood stains on his mouth and neck, indicating that he suffered from internal bleeding. His eye had a deep gash in it, a deep cut running along it. His left arm adorned cuts as well, and there was a deep hole in his right hand.

His left arm was definitely broken. It was hanging loosely in a way that definitely indicated a breaking of bone. His left leg looked bad as well, looking like it clearly had been snapped in two. He flinched at just how bad it was. Just looking at it reminded him so much of that incident with those two crony zoners. A dull ache appeared in his leg as he stared at Rudy's broken one.

His eyes moved across Rudy's body until they focused on the hole in his stomach. A gaping hole... Newland had skewered him on something. A sharp rock perhaps? Or maybe Rudy fell on it. The hole went right through his back and he wouldn't doubt that it broke through his spine.

Snap remained frozen there for a while, trying to comprehend what happened. His mind was having a hard time accepting what he was seeing. He took a step forward, his eyes glued on Rudy. He felt tears begin form in his eyes. He..he had to try to wake him up. Maybe Penny just didn't try hard enough. Rudy can't be gone.

"B-Bucko..?" Snap asked in a small voice. He hobbled closer until he stood about a foot in front of them. "Come on...wake up...please..." He watched Rudy for any sign of movement. But the boy just laid there, still as stone. "Rudy, open your eyes..please..."

Rudy never responded. Snap felt his lower lip start to quiver. He shook his head in denial. No, it couldn't be true..please..not him..no.. Rudy has to be alive. He just has to...

"Rudy! Bucko! Please get up!" Snap cried, tears moving down his face. "Please wake up! You can't leave me! Please..please don't leave me...don't go..please! Rudy! Rudy!" But no matter how many times he tried calling to him, Rudy never responded, never made a motion to indicate he was still there. "Please no..."

Snap stared at Rudy's chest. He tried to look for signs of life. Anything. But Rudy's chest...it never rose or fell. Rudy..he wasn't breathing... It was then it felt like a freight train struck him. He could feel his heart break in two. Rudy..he was...he was gone...

Snap stood there, his body shaking. He watched as Penny cradled Rudy's lifeless body in her arms. Her hands ran through his hair. She stared down at his unmoving face, sobs escaping her throat. She looked back at Snap, giving him a look of pure heartbreak. All the while, Rudy never moved...never spoke...never responded... It was as if he were just some life-sized rag doll that Penny found somewhere.

The blue and white zoner still found himself in denial. It couldn't be true... No.. Not Rudy... He didn't deserve this... He can't be dead. Despite the evidence, Snap still stubbornly held onto the believe that maybe he was still alive and just needed something rougher to wake him up. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing a little.

"Rudy this isn't funny! Wake up! You're scaring us!" Snap shouted. Rudy didn't respond. Snap seethed a little, baring his teeth. "This joke's gone on long enough! Wake up! Open your eyes! We have to go, Rudy! We need to stop Newland! I brought you some magic chalk!" Still no reply. "Wake up, damn it! Wake up! Wake up! Please, wake up...!"

Snap tightened his grip on his crutch. He shut his eyes, tears flowing from them. His teeth were clenched as he spoke 'wake up' over and over again. His body shook with emotion. He remained there for a while before he felt a sudden warmth around him.

Opening his eyes, he could see Penny had set Rudy on the ground and came up to him. Her arms were wrapped around his body gently. She stared at him in the eyes, silently telling him Rudy really was gone. Snap's lower lip quivered as his face contorted into sorrow. Unable to hold back, he started to sob.

Penny held him close. He pressed his face against her shoulder and cried into it. Penny rested her chin on his shoulder, letting out tears of her own as she wept with him. He didn't pay attention to the pain any of the real world tears caused him. The only thing on his mind was Rudy. Loud sobs escaped his mouth as his body shook. He pressed himself up against Penny, continuing to cry against her.

It just wasn't fair. Why Rudy? What did he do to deserve this? What did he do to deserve what Newland gave him? Snap wanted to be furious with Newland. He wanted to feel such a rage that he want to take care of that creepazoid right now. But at the moment, he was too grief-stricken to do much of anything. The world around him became a blur, dark, and all he was aware of was Penny holding him and Rudy's dead form.

Oh Bucko... Why did this have to happen to him? Snap felt like an idiot. Why...why did he insist that they exploriate the caves today? Why didn't he urge Rudy to bring more magic chalk? Why weren't they more careful? Why weren't they more vigilant? Snap felt in a way responsible for Rudy's death. If he...if he had just done something different, then maybe...

His thoughts became muddled as his mind went numb. He continued to cry with Penny. His legs felt weak and he dropped down onto his knees. Penny went down with him. She kept her arms wrapped around his body. He dropped his crutch and put his good arm around her. He kept his face pressed against her shoulder and continued to cry. As the two friends wept, he whispered one small phrase.

"I'm so sorry, Bucko..."


End file.
